Revolving book shelf



Feb. 26, 1946.l R E, ELVER 2,395,618

REVOLVING BooK SELF Filed Nov. 29, 1943 INVENToR. f90 y V525 BY i Patented Feb. 26, 1946 UNITED sTaTgs rsTeNT orrlcs REVOLVING BOOK SHELF Roy E. Elvers, vLos Angeles, Calif.

Application November' 29, 1943, Serial No. 512,129

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a revolving book shelf and has for its principal object, to provide a simple, compact and easily operated shelf or support mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis` and which may be readily swung from one position to another so as to bring the desired book or books into convenient. position for use.

Further objects of my invention are, to provide a revolving book shelf of the character referred to having simple and eflici'ent means for detachably mounting books and the like on opposite sides of the shelf, and to provide means which act automatically for engaging the edges of the revolving shelf and holding same in position for use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational View of a revolving book shelf embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end View.

Fig. 3 is a enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4' is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. '7 is a cross section taken on the line 'I 'l of Fig, 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the devices utilized for detachably connecting the books on the shelf.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, I!! designates a suitable base which may be a book rack, filing cabinet or the like, and secured thereto, are spaced upwardly projecting posts II.

Mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis between posts I I is a shelf or supporting member I2, preferably rectangular in shape and formed of wood, metal or plastics.

Suitably secured to the intermediate portion of the side edges of the shelf, are metal straps I3, the outer faces of which lie ush with the outer faces of the shelf and projecting outwardly from the central portion of the sides of said straps, are short arms It.

Formed in the upper portions of legs II are apertures I5 and secured to the inner faces of 55 said legs and overlying said apertures are metal plates I6.

Passing through apertures l5, are the outer portions of screws I'I which pass through plates i5 and through apertures in straps I3 with thev threadedr portions of said screws seated in shelf I2.

Thus, the screws provide a horizontal axis for the shelf and to provide a certain amount of friction between plates I6 and straps I3, small expansive coil springs I8 are arranged between the heads of screws Il and plates I6. (See Fig. 6.)

To retain the shelf in a horizontal position while in use, I utilize conventional cupboard door catches I9, seated in legs II, to the sides of apertures I5, which catches include spring pressed balls or plungers 20 adapted to enter countersunk apertures 2| formed in straps I3, when the shelf occupies a horizontal plane.

The edges of the straps I3 adjacent the catches just described, are bevelled as designated 2Ia in order to enable the spring pressed balls to ride onto the outer face of said straps.

Obviously any other suitable and convenient form of shelf holding means may be utilized instead of the form herein shown and described.

The means utilized for detachably mounting the books, catalogues and the like to the revolving shelf include small metal rods 22, about the size of the spokes n a bicycle wheel, which rods extend lengthwise through the central portion of the book adjacent the back binding thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 8 with the ends of said rods projecting short distances for rotary engagement in apertures 23 formed in the outer portions of arms I4.

To detachably connect the rods 22 to the book or catalogue, clips formed of resilient metal, pref. erably steel, have their central portions bent to form loops 24, with the end portions of the wire, crossing each other and bent into planes at right angles to the loops to provide curved legs 25.

When these clips are applied to the ends of the book backs, the legs 25 overlie the ends of the books adjacent the backs as seen in Fig. 8 and as the normal tendency of the loop 24 is to expand and thereby cause legs to move toward each other, said legs grip the projecting ends of rod 22, thereby holding same in the book.

While not in use, the shelf occupies a vertical position between the posts I I, due to the Weight of the books carried by said shelf, which booksY the lower portion of the shelf. (See ZF'igs. 1 and 2).

In the use of the shelf, the same is normally engaged and swung into a horizontal plane, thereby bringing the desired book onto the upper face of the shelf, and when so positioned the balls 2B of the catches I9 engage in apertures 2| in straps I3, thus holding said shelf in position for use.

To return the shelf to its normal position, it is only necessary to engage either end thereof and swing same a suflicient distance to disengage the balls 20 from aperture 21a, whereupon the weight of the books will swing said shelf to vertical position.

Instead of being mounted on a cabinet, case or the like the support or supports for the revolving shelf may be fixed or hinged to a suitable upright support such as a wall, partition or door frame, thus conserving floor space, and when hinged, the shelf while not in use, may occupy an out of the way position.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a revolving shelf which is simple in structure, inexpensive of manufacture and Very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved revolving shelf may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of 30 1. In a revolving book shelf, a pair of spaced supports, a shelf mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis between said supports readily releasable means for holding said shelf in horizontal position and means for suspending books on the sides of said shelf from points near the horizontal plane occupied by its axis which suspending means comprises plates secured to the sides of said shelf adjacent the axis thereof, ears projecting from the opposite edges of said plates and book engaging rods having their ends removably seated in said ears.

2. In a revolving book shelf, a pair of spaced supports, a shelf mounted to rotate on a hori- Zontal axis between said supports, means for suspending books on the sides of said shelf from points near the horizontal plane occupied by said axis, which suspending means comprises plates secured to the sides of said shelf adjacent the axis thereof, ears projecting from the opposite edges of said plates and book engaging rods having their ends removably seated in said ears and detent means seated in said supports for engaging said plates and holding said shelf in a horizontal position.

3. A revolving shelf as set forth in claim 2 including means for producing varying degrees of friction between said shelf and its supports.

4. A revolving shelf as set forth Iin claim 2 including resilient book engaging clips removably applied to the ends of said rods.

ROY E. ELVERS. 

